Ar Rahman

Vande Mataram

Columbia

The vocal style of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan shall be forever missed, but it is fortunate that other artists carry forth in this ethereal styling. While listening to Vande Mataram , my roommate swore on his grave it was New Age. New Age comes with a horrible stigma, and I fought it tooth and nail. It’s comforting music that uses current technology and production to compliment the power of Ar Rahman’s voice. “Gurus of Peace” is a duet between Khan and Rahman and has the elegance of an angel in a evening gown swaying peacefully above the ground. Occasionally English filters in underneath and provides the power to cross language barriers. It’s depressing that many will never gain the courage to explore this music. Just remember next time you are at your local record store: you are just another face in the purchasing public. So what if you are “scorned” for having an open mind? Quality is always better than quantity.

Doomed lighthouses, flying saucers above British coastal villages, and a grandmother who prepared to poison the Nazis… Thomas Dolby discusses the many eye-opening aspects of his film, The Invisible Lighthouse – now the anchor of a unique concert/visuals tour of the U.S. – with Steve Stav.